The Kargil War was fought between India and Pakistan for three months in 1999 in the Kargil district of Kashmir and along the Line of Control (LOC). This was a result of Pakistan’s military and Kashmiri rebels occupied strategic positions on the Line of Control or LoC), which held to a counterattack by Indian army. The war was fought under the temperature of minus 10 degree Celsius. At the start of the conflict between two warring nations, The Pakistani Troop had an upper hand as positioned themselves in key locations and could fire at advancing Indian troops.
Due to the help of importance tips received from local shepherds, the Indian Army launched Operation Vijay which means victory. Under the Operation Vijay, the nation saw the mobilisation of about 2,00,000 Indian troops and brought a swift end to the war by recapturing all the lost posts and making the Pakistani rebels to evacuate the posts.
Captain Vikram Batra, sacrificed his life fighting enemy troops during the Kargil War in 1999, at the age of 24. Today the nation remembers the Captain Vikram Batra, the Kargil War hero, on his 21st death anniversary. Post the Kargil war, he was bestowed with the highest wartime gallantry award, Param Vir Chakra posthumously. His Life motto Yeh Dil Maange More is etched in hearts and minds for his soldiers even till date. Captain Vikram Batra most difficult task was to capture of crucial peak – Point 4875. There was a time when the enemy continued to fire from a position north of the point. Despite having high fever and fatigue, Captain Vikram Batra volunteered to head a party to the battlefront.
This held to him been called Sher Shah’ whose courageous efforts paved the way for India’s triumph in the Kargil War. He was bestowed with titles such as ‘Tiger of Drass’, the ‘Lion of Kargil’, the ‘Kargil Hero’. His courage and grit had set a standard for all the defence forces fighting the war. Today, 21 years back Captain Vikram Batra ran out of his bunker to rescue another officer, Lt. Naveen Anaberu who injured his legs in an explosion. In process of saving his fellow colleague an enemy bullet hit him in his chest. To pay homage to the brave solider the Point 4875 was renamed as “Batra Top”.
Captain Vikram Batra hailed from Himachal Pradesh’s Palampur to Girdhari Lal Batra and Kamal Kanta Batra. His father penned down a book ‘Param Vir Vikram Batra, the Sher Shah of Kargil.’ In the books the Father recounts visiting Kargil in 2002 and saying “The journey would not have been complete without touching the soil where Vikram laid down his life. It was an overwhelming gesture when the corps commander gifted us with two glasses filled with the soil of Point 4875 and Tololing. For us, it was nothing less than visiting a pilgrimage site.”
Karan Johar had made an official announcement of producing a biopic on Captain Vikram Batra titled ‘Shershaah ‘starring Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani. Shershaah is an inspiring story of Captain Vikram Batra, who was martyred in the Kargil War at the age of 24. The makers of the movie paid tribute to the Kargil hero with a special video.
They wrote, “A homage to the proud son of the soil. Your courage, bravery and love for our country will never be forgotten. Remembering Captain Vikram Batra (PVC).”
